


phantom

by MollyRenata



Series: blood red steel [5]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Gen, human sho and robot minazuki, not sure what else to tag this with oops, rated for sho being himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29155080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyRenata/pseuds/MollyRenata
Summary: After being transferred into a new body, Minazuki experiences some rather unpleasant sensations.
Relationships: Minazuki Sho & Minazuki Sho
Series: blood red steel [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140146
Kudos: 4





	phantom

**Author's Note:**

> An idea that came into my head, so I decided to write it down. It's pretty short this time.

* * *

There were times when Minazuki's new form _troubled_ him.

It was difficult to describe, and on a logical level, it made little sense. He supposed it was like the phantom pains that those who had lost limbs experienced - except it wasn't _pain,_ and it encompassed the whole of his body. _Discomfort_ was the closest term he could think of to describe it, and while the feeling wasn't _frequent,_ it occurred from time to time when he wasn't distracted by a mission.

He explained his condition as best he could to those who were in charge of maintaining him, and _they_ didn't understand it, either. Minazuki was the first Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon who had _truly_ inhabited a human body before being built, and so there was no frame of reference; the fifth and seventh generation units were both intrigued by it as well, and they questioned him on the feeling every now and then. He didn't have any answers beyond his initial explanation, and so that questioning earned them nothing.

Of course, it didn't take long for Sho to pick up on the issue. Curious as the boy was, he often poked his nose where it didn't belong, and he knew now that Minazuki had kept several secrets from him while they shared a body - there was no reason to believe that this would change with their separation. Minazuki thought differently; he had only kept those secrets from his other half to _protect_ him, and now there was little need to continue a charade that could damage their relationship.

Technically speaking, Sho was not _supposed_ to visit Minazuki during maintenance. However, _rules_ did not stop the one who once thought he wished to live in a world of solitude - he came barging in with little regard to the maintenance team, and knowing how much of a loose cannon he was, they scattered upon arrival, leaving Sho and Minazuki alone in the chamber. It wasn't the first time that happened, and the odds were that it wouldn't be the last, and Minazuki only wished that Sho had waited until his limbs had been secured again.

"...Why didn't you tell me?" Sho demanded, as his expression sharpened into a glare. "You really haven't changed, huh? Still keepin' things from me like it's _none of my business-_ "

"Relax." Minazuki interrupted Sho's tirade, and if he were able, he would have raised a hand in a gesture of pacification; as it was, both of his arms were partially detached, and he could not move them. "I had thought to inform the maintenance team first, in case they had an answer to my dilemma. In truth, I had intended to have this discussion with you at some point..."

"Yeah, _when?_ " Sho was still upset - not an unusual thing for him. "When you suddenly started having _phantom annoyance_ in the middle of a mission and couldn't function? I thought you wanted to keep me _alive,_ huh!?"

"It hardly prevents me from functioning." Minazuki shook his head - one of the few gestures he could make, with his body impaired like this. "It is, as you said, little more than an _annoyance._ During combat, I would scarcely even _notice_ it... I've grown used to fighting in this form, and there are _far_ more important things to focus on in a life-or-death situation."

Sho clicked his tongue, and looked away. "Yeah, _whatever._ You still should'a told me first. You used to live in my body... I have a right to know."

"And how would _you_ have answered it?" Minazuki narrowed his eyes. "You know little of how this body functions. You hardly possess the expertise to assist me physically... and in this case, _they_ are unable to help as well. Know that it is not my desire to keep secrets from you - it was a necessary evil in the past."

"...You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Contrary to expectations, Sho relaxed somewhat, and a fraction of his anger diffused. "Guess that's a bit more _literal_ now... not that I'd wanna _work_ on your _pieces,_ anyway." He breathed a heavy sigh, and looked back at Minazuki. "Can't imagine what it's like. To have those weird phantom feelings, I mean."

"I pray that you never have to experience it yourself..." Minazuki considered the possibility of Sho losing a limb or two in combat - with prompt treatment, he would be able to get a functional prosthesis with the Kirijo Group's technology, but that would not eliminate the underlying problems that came with such an unnatural extension of his body. "For me, it is disquieting, yet I'm able to push through it with some effort. For you, it would be..."

"It'd drive me outta my goddamn mind," Sho muttered. "...So you better not let it distract you while we're fighting, got it? I'd rather die than have to put up with some shitty _replacement._ "

"I'll do what I am able." Minazuki made a sound akin to a sigh of his own - without lungs, he could not perform the action, but vocalizing it was simple enough. "However, remember that unexpected circumstances may occur during a battle, and I would only be able to prevent so much. You must exercise caution as well."

"Yeah, yeah." Sho waved a hand dismissively, and turned away from Minazuki. "...Sorry for blowin' up at you. Guess I really _am_ a ticking time bomb..."

While Sho had calmed down somewhat in recent times, it was still unusual for him to apologize, and Minazuki was somewhat surprised by the sentiment. Of course, there was always the possibility that this apology was little more than an excuse to slip in another of the boy's terrible jokes; Minazuki chose to focus on that, as it was more in line with what he expected from Sho, and yet he still could not come up with a verbal response.

As he watched his other half exit the chamber, Minazuki wondered if perhaps the two of them should engage in more _casual_ conversations from this point forward.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I still have all of my limbs intact (thankfully), but I *am* missing at least one internal organ, and I experience occasional unpleasant sensations where it used to be. I wouldn't say I understand phantom pains in their entirety, but. Shrug.


End file.
